Lillard National Player of the Week

[MarkGrace]

No they didn't.

Huh? Is the NIT something other the National Invitational Tournament played for college basketball that I don't know about? They went in '09 and '10 -- two of the three seasons he played at Weber.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Huh? Is the NIT something other the National Invitational Tournament played for college basketball that I don't know about? They went in '09 and '10 -- two of the three seasons he played at Weber.

The year he was being hyped on this board then drafted they played in the CBI or lower. Google his ass.

Edit: sorry CollegeInsiders.com tourney. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011–...asketball_team

[MarkGrace]

The year he was being hyped on this board then drafted they played in the CBI or lower. Google his ass.

Edit: sorry CollegeInsiders.com tourney. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011–...asketball_team

Googled his ass and it says he got his team into the NIT the twice, but I already knew that, which is why I said it in the first place. Not quite sure why only the one year matters, or why his team making the NIT matters at all, though it is consistent with that bizarre reasoning you were clinging to the first time around.

[clackamascoug]

I've watched every second of every Blazer game this year. Lillard has potential, but he's just an OK defender, has way too many turnovers, and often finds himself in the air with nowhere to go. He does take quarters off, and then plays harder when he wants to. That said, for just a second year player he's got ice in his veins, and that takes the pressure off of Aldridge who is a little weak kneed in crunch time. After all is said and done, I don't think Lillard will be a shoe in for the HOF, but he'll be considered a good solid player and well respected.

[Applejack]

I've watched every second of every Blazer game this year. Lillard has potential, but he's just an OK defender, has way too many turnovers, and often finds himself in the air with nowhere to go. He does take quarters off, and then plays harder when he wants to. That said, for just a second year player he's got ice in his veins, and that takes the pressure off of Aldridge who is a little weak kneed in crunch time. After all is said and done, I don't think Lillard will be a shoe in for the HOF, but he'll be considered a good solid player and well respected.

I just watched the two game winners that Grace posted and was amazed at the (lack of) reaction from his teammates after those shots. Normally when a guy hits a buzzer beater the entire team mobs him. I haven't watched Portland much this year, but from those two clips it makes it seem like Lillard is not that popular on his own team. Am I just making that up?

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Googled his ass and it says he got his team into the NIT the twice, but I already knew that, which is why I said it in the first place. Not quite sure why only the one year matters, or why his team making the NIT matters at all, though it is consistent with that bizarre reasoning you were clinging to the first time around.

It still makes no sense to me that a lottery pick caliber guard can't get his team into the real tourney. It just baffles me, he played in an awful conference, with probably zero guys that will sniff the NBA, but they didn't win. That makes no sense to me, when I've seen lottery pick guards before their team usually makes a deep run in the NCAA, not get bounced from the CI.com tourney.

Anyway, I admitted I was wrong about him.

[MarkGrace]

I just watched the two game winners that Grace posted and was amazed at the (lack of) reaction from his teammates after those shots. Normally when a guy hits a buzzer beater the entire team mobs him. I haven't watched Portland much this year, but from those two clips it makes it seem like Lillard is not that popular on his own team. Am I just making that up?

Yes. It's cooler to act like you've been there before when you've been there before. Also, both were road games, which I'm sure has an impact. Usually the mobbing celebration you see is on a home floor after the crowd explodes.

[MarkGrace]

It still makes no sense to me that a lottery pick caliber guard can't get his team into the real tourney. It just baffles me, he played in an awful conference, with probably zero guys that will sniff the NBA, but they didn't win. That makes no sense to me, when I've seen lottery pick guards before their team usually makes a deep run in the NCAA, not get bounced from the CI.com tourney.

Anyway, I admitted I was wrong about him.

It still makes no sense to me why that makes no sense to you, but oh well.

[MarkGrace]

Yes. It's cooler to act like you've been there before when you've been there before. Also, both were road games, which I'm sure has an impact. Usually the mobbing celebration you see is on a home floor after the crowd explodes.

Irving, the 2012 rookie of the year, quickly made a name for himself as a closer by hitting four game winners in his first two seasons (he now has five). Lillard, the 2013 rookie of the year, has four of his own now early in his second season. Three in the past month. Two in the past three days.

Those shots were extremely different in their nature but had the exact same effect: a chilled crowd that was hoping to taste a rare Eastern Conference win over the West's best; a rush of teammates to Lillard's side for congratulations; and a completely expressionless face above No. 0.

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/p...pointed-battle

[TripletDaddy]

It still makes no sense to me why that makes no sense to you, but oh well.

Probably because I'm guessing it is rare to see an NBA lottery pick that played in college but never made it to the NCAA tournament. Even more so when that player played multiple seasons in college.

[MarkGrace]

Probably because I'm guessing it is rare to see an NBA lottery pick that played in college but never made it to the NCAA tournament. Even more so when that player played multiple seasons in college.

Of course. But even at that it still doesn't seem that difficult to wrap your head around the fact a guy could end up being a good NBA player despite what his team in college failed to accomplish. There are just too many factors that impact the team result (especially when you play in a conference where the only real way in is through the conference tourney) none of which have any bearing on the individual's future projection or skill/ability level. HFN was absolutely convinced there was no way he could be an NBA player simply based on what his team failed to do. That makes no sense to me, and even less that he would still be confused based on a new set of similarly inconsequential circumstances. But there's no need to revisit that argument. I'm sure it embarrasses him enough already.

[TripletDaddy]

Of course. But even at that it still doesn't seem that difficult to wrap your head around the fact a guy could end up being a good NBA player despite what his team in college failed to accomplish. There are just too many factors that impact the team result (especially when you play in a conference where the only real way in is through the conference tourney) none of which have any bearing on the individual's future projection or skill/ability level. HFN was absolutely convinced there was no way he could be an NBA player simply based on what his team failed to do. That makes no sense to me, and even less that he would still be confused based on a new set of similarly inconsequential circumstances. But there's no need to revisit that argument. I'm sure it embarrasses him enough already.

I think everyone agrees that college performance isn't always an accurate indicator of success in the pros.

I guess I read HFNs comments a little differently. I thought his main point is that someone that is a lottery pick would likely have played in the NCAA tournament and played a significant role in getting there. Not sure what is so problematic about that, especially since history seems to suggest that lottery picks generally play in the tournament.

[clackamascoug]

What I take away from these thoughts, is that NBA Scouts might know what they're doing, and the predraft workouts are very important.

[Donuthole]

What I take away from these thoughts, is that NBA Scouts might know what they're doing, and the predraft workouts are very important.

How is that your takeaway? If NBA Scouts knew what they were doing, wouldn't Lillard have gone over Kidd-Gilchirist, Beal, Waiters, and Robinson?

[MarkGrace]

I think everyone agrees that college performance isn't always an accurate indicator of success in the pros.

I guess I read HFNs comments a little differently. I thought his main point is that someone that is a lottery pick would likely have played in the NCAA tournament and played a significant role in getting there. Not sure what is so problematic about that, especially since history seems to suggest that lottery picks generally play in the tournament.

If he agrees with your first statement then he wouldn't be saying he's not sure how it could happen and he could make sense of it. But maybe I'm just reading him too literally based on the history of this discussion.